I'm writing notes in the business class lounge at JFK while we're waiting for our flight to board. Business class is much better than coach! The lounge has free drinks -- I'm drinking a very strong vodka tonic -- and snacks. It's a weird crowd. A lot of people are reading that screeching conservative rag pretending to be a newspaper -- the New York Post. There is a TV loudly playing some ESPN show with highlights from previous NFL games, and there are cute German and Russian businessmen hooking up their laptops to the phones. There is a certain amount of "privilege" in the attitude of the people in business class. A lot of them have no qualms about talking as loudly as possible in their cell phones, even with strangers sitting right next to them. These aren't generally the people travelling on business -- they're people with enough miles or money to travel
business class for pleasure trips.

Flyers seem to be dressing better. Is it because summer is over? Or are the tacky people more likely to be afraid to fly now? I haven't seen a single applique t-shirt. Note to the Arkansans in the audience -- I did see a Dillards suit bag!

The bookstore here in the terminal had a book about Flight 93 featured in the window. Who would buy that to read on a plane?!